Lighter for cigars and the like



1,620,548 March 8 1927. R o HAMMOND LIGHTER FOR CIGARS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 1922 IN V EN TOR.

% ATTORNEYS.

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ROBERT C. HAMMOND, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK ASSIGNQR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. OGDEN AND ONE-HALF TO HAROLD" H. SIMMS, BOTH OF RO GHESTER, NEW YORK.

LIGHTER FOB CIGARS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed Jamey 12,1922. Serial No. 528,820.

V the invention is to provide an improved incandescing device on a removable plug. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved means of mounting a socket member upon a suitable support. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved manner of securin the socket terminals to an insulator on t e socket member.

Another and further object of the invention is to prevent the short circuiting of the terminals of the socket member by the terminals of the plug member. A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for holding the terminals of the plug member out of contact with the terminals of the socket member while permitting such terminals to be brought into contact.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will behereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a face view of the lighter showing the plug inposition;

Fig. 2 is a face view showing'the plug removed;

Fig. 3 is a view of the lighter in side elevation with the plug removed; Fig. 4 shows the plug in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the lighter showing the plug in position with its contacts out of the socket;

Fig. 6 isa view of the inner end of the Fig. 7 is an end view of-the lighter; and Fig. 8 is a section at right angles to that shown in Fig. 5, the plug being shown in cooperation with the contacts of the socket.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there is employed a socket member and a plug member. The socket member embodies, in this instance, a bodyhaving a cylindrical bore and external portions 1 and 2 of different diameters, the portion 2 being externally threaded and lying near the outer end of the socket member. At the outer end oft-he body or socket member a flange 3. projects outwardly and this flange together with a clamping ring 4: on the externally threaded portion 2 serves for holding the lighter inposition on a suitable support, not shown, preferably in the form of a board or plate with an opening through which the socket member extends. The inner end of the socket member has an inwardly projecting annular flange 5 which. forms a seat for insulating means comprising, in this instance, an insulating disc 6 having sheets of mica 7 on opposite sides thereof, said disc being held in position by screws 8 passed through the socket member into said plate as shown in Fig. 5.

Arranged on the insulating means are two terminals 9 which have body port-ions resting against the insulating means in the form of segments of a circle. From these body portions curved or arcuate flanges 9*- project, the peripheries of these flanges being spaced from the inner walls of the bore of the socket member. The ends of the curved or arcuate flanges roject from the body portions 9 as at 9* and overhang insulating strips 10 which are positioned between the two terminals 9, thus securing said strips in position. The terminals 9 are held to the insulating means by providing each of said terminals with an externally screw threaded post 11 which extends through the insulating means to the exterior of the socket where nuts 12 and 13 operate upon said screw threaded post. The nuts 12 serve to hold the terminals firmly to the insulatin means while the nuts 13 serve for binding e ectrical conductors to the post in order that electrical connection may be established with the terminals 9.

'The plug member comprises, in this instance, a handle portion 14 and a cylindrical body portion,l5 adapted to fit in the bore of On the inner end of its ends in slots 18 in the terminals .16 by' fastening screws 19. This coil may be supported internally by a piece ,of insulating material 20 which at its ends abuts the opposed faces of the posts'16 and which is ex ternally grooved at 21 in a helical manner as shown in Fig. 6 to receive the coils of the incandescing device. It is apparent that when the contacts 16 are brought into engagement with the contacts 9, a: circuit through the incandescing device will be established and the latter will become incan-' descent. I

It is desirable to hold the terminals 16 out of engagement with the terminals 9 when the incandescent-device is not being heated and to this end the leaf spring 22 may be employed, secured by a fastening screw 23 to the exterior of the socket member and having a laterally turned end 24, in this instance, of J shape projected through a slot or opening 25 in the socket member to cooperate with an annular groove 26 formed in the cylindrical portion 15 of the plug. N ormally the end of the spring lies in this groove 26 and holds the plug so that the terminals 16 do not engage the terminals 9, but as pressure is applied in the direction of the loligitudinal axis of the plug, the spring 22 wi yield and permit the terminals 16 to engage the terminals 9. When the plug is in its innermost position, the deflected end 24 of the spring 22 lies near the top of the outermost side of the groove 26 so that when pres sure is relieved on the plug, the spring will cooperate with the wall of the groove 26 in such wardly in the socket and carry the terminals a manner as to project the plug out- 16 away from the terminals 9. A

'There may also beemployed means for permitting the ventilation of the socket member while the plug 4 is arranged therein so that the heat from the incandescing de -v1ce may be dissipated. This result,"in this instance, is secured by providing openings 27 m the socket member between the terminals and the screw threaded portion 2. An openmg 28 is also provided in theplug member in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the latter. It is apparent that this will permit air to circulate through the-lighter and about the incandescing device. Furthermore .the longitudinal extending opening 28 provides a view-opening by which the interior of the lighter may be viewed and particularly theincandescing device which lies at the inner end of such view opening.

With the end in view of preventing the socket terminals 9/from being bridged or short circuited by the terminals 16 without causing the circuit to pass through the in-- candescing device, a means is provided, in this instance, a projection 23 formed by the head of the fastening device ing from the. inner wall of the socket at a point between the contacts or terminals 9 so that the terminals'16 will engage with said pro ection in the event that the plug is fitted into the socket in an improper manner and 23 and proj ect-.

this engagement will prevent the plug being inserted any further until the latter is rotated to bring said terminals 16 to positions where the engagement with the terminalsor contacts 9 will pass the full current through the incandescing device.

The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description but it may be summarized as follows: The normal positions of the parts are illustrated in Fig. 5. When it is desired to produce incandescence in the incandescing device 17, the plug is forced into the socket member against the action of the spring 22 so as to bring the terminals 16 into contact with the terminals 9. This position is held untilincandescence is present in the incandescing device. The condition of the incandescing device may be ascertained through the view opening 28. When the incandescing device is in proper condition, the plug is withdrawn and the incandescing device may be used for lighting a cigar, cigarette or other article. As the incandescing device is at. the end ofthe plug and the vieia opening extends through the plug, it is impossible for-ashes to collect 27 and the opening 28 in the plug.

- It Will be noted that a novel means is provided for securing the socket member to a suitable support. The socket member has its terminals mounted in a novel manner upon an insulating means. These terminals are so formed as to hold an insulating. material between them; The terminals on the plug are situated in! such a position as to expose 1 off by air circulating through the openings the incandescent device for use. A spring device of novel construction is employed which normally holds the plug with its contacts or terminals out ofcooperation with the contacts or terminals of the socket member. 3

What I claim asmy invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: X 1. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a'socket'membep provided with two terminals to which the electrical source is connected, a plug-member removably fitted in said socket member and having two ter-1 minals projecting from its'inner end to cooperate with thetermmals ofv the socket member, an incandescing device at the inner end of the plug member, connected with the terminals of said plug member and means for yield'ingly holding the plug member in the socket with its terminals out of contact with the terminals of the socket.

2.- A lighter for cigars or the like comprising a socket, member having two con- I tacts, a plug member removably fitted there- 130 in and having two contacts, an electrical incandescent device carried by the inner end of the plu member and connecting the contacts on the latter, yielding means normal ly holding the contacts of the plug member out of engagement with the contacts of the socket member, but yielding to permit such engagement, said plug member having an opening through which the incandescent device at the inner end of the plug member may be viewed to ascertain when a condition of incandescence is present in the incandescing device after the contacts of the plug member have been thrown into engagement with the contacts of the socket member through the yielding of said means.

3. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a plug member, an electrical incandescent device carried by said plug member, and a socket member in which said electrical incandescent device may be fitted, said socket member having a flange at its outer end and being exteriorly threaded, and a clamping nut acting on the exteriorly threaded portion of the socket member and with said flange to clamp the socket member to a suitable support.

4. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a socket member, two terminals at the bottom thereof, each provided with a curved projecting flange, a plug member removably fitted in said socket member and I having projecting terminals for cooperating with said curved projecting flanges, and an incandescing device connecting said plug terminals. V

5. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a socket member, two terminals-arranged at the bottom of said socket member each having a curved projecting flange, pro- 'ecting at opposite ends from one side of the ody of such terminal, insulating material arranged between the terminals and held unprojecting flanges, and an incandescing de-' der said projecting ends of the curved flange.

s a plug member removably fitting in said socket member and having two projecting terminals for cooperating with the curved vice connecting said plug terminals.

6. A lighter for ci ars and the like comprising a socket mem er provided with two terminals and having a flange at its'outer end, the exterior of said socket member be-.

ing externally threaded and a clamping nut operating on the externally threaded portion on the socket member.

'minals of the 7. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a socket member having a pair of terminals on its bottom, a plug removably fitted in said socket member, projecting terminals on the plug arranged to cooperate with the terminals at the bottom of the socket member, an incandescing device connecting said plug terminals and arranged on the inner end of said plug member, and means cooperating with the plug terminals to prevent the bridging of the space between the socket terminals by,said plug terminals. i

8. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a socket member having insulating means on the bottom thereof, two terminals supported in spaced relation by the insulating means, a plug removably fitted in said socket member and having two projecting terminals, an incandescing device connecting said plug terminals and arranged on the inner end of said plug, and a projection arranged on the inner face of the socket member to cooperate with the projecting terminals of the plug to prevent the latter bridgingkthe space between the terminals of the soc et member. a

9. A lighter for cigars and the like com prising a socket member provided with two terminals, a plug member removably fitted insaid socket member and provided with an annular groove and also with two terminals, an mean escing device connecting said terplug ,member, and yielding means cooperatm with the walls of the groove to hold t e plug member with its terminals out of contact with the terminals of the socket member.

10. A lighter for cigars and the like comprising a' socket member provided with two terminals,- a plug member provided with two terminals and also with an annular groove, an incandescing device connecting the terminals of the plug member, and yielding means cooperating with the walls of the lease of the latter so that the terminals of such plug will lie out of contact with the terminals of the socket member.

ROBERT o. HAMMOND. 

